Red Night Zone

Bangkok City

By: James Newman

Narrated by: Nicholas Patrella

Monica wants to be loved like all the other pretty girls in Bangkok. But sometimes getting what you want isn't healthy. Her body is discovered decapitated in her cold-water apartment room. A case holding an ancient black magic spell is missing from the scene.

Joe Dylan ventures into the Bangkok City bars. The detective follows a trail leading to Demon Dreams, a Bangkok S&M joint run by a beautiful transsexual and her mentally deranged brother. Joe discovers a world of bizarre nocturnal acts and black magic rituals. It's a seedy Bangkok underworld that picks-up fallen women from the streets and throws them into an evil world of torture and murder.

Step into the Red Night Zone: Bangkok City, the sequel to Newman's neo-noir pulp thriller Bangkok Express.

©2012 James A. Newman (P)2015 James A. Newman

Critic reviews

"The next big thing in Thai fiction." (Thailand Writing and Book Reviews)

BANGKOK HAS SECRETS!!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

This is a truly bizarre mystery dealing with dark sex magic and the secrets in the dark alleys of Bangkok..PI Joe Dylan, knew there was something strange going on, but did not anticipate this strange and dangerous world! Really interesting and well worth a listen!!!

Weird sentences

What could James Newman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I have read noir mystery novels before and liked them. But this one was something else. Every other sentence in this book is constructed weirdly and is distracting. More fluid and easily digestible writing style would've been better.

The interaction between different characters felt forced. That is, when I imagine those two characters interacting with each other in a normal world, in similar circumstances, I can't imagine them reacting in the way they do in this book. And thus there's no semblance of reality. i.e. I didn't find a reality based anchor to wrap the story around.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Nicholas Patrella?

The narrator did decent enough job with the content he had. I would have liked to read book 1 of this series first, but since that is not available in Audible, I had to start with book 2. I've also listened to book 3 of this series.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook for free from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Adjectives a-plenty, but lacking interest.

The writing is an excess of flowery prose wrapped around an average plot. The night life, voodoo and S&M bars in Bangkok are the majority of action and not that interesting to me. I couldn’t get into this story and had to tap out halfway through. Others may find this tale interesting, but it’s just not for me. The narration was pretty good though, I’ll give him credit for that. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Pretty entertaining

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily
left this review.

This was my first experience with the Joe Dylan Crime Noir series. I must say, it was pretty entertaining. My only mild complaint is that the dialog wasn't always very natural feeling. The sentences had some odd word choices at times... This may have been on purpose for the whole, noir feel, but it was a little distracting. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't enjoy the story, though, so it wasn't a big deal. In the interest of transparency, I don't have a lot of crime noir books in my library so have little point of reference as to whether or not this was a "normal style" for this genre. Anyway, the narration was pretty good and I really liked the way the author wove in the paranormal aspects of the story. All in all, I was intrigued enough that I would remain open to more books in the series.

Another super dark and gritty tale of Bangkok Noir

My second foray into the world of P.I. Joe Dylan and James A. Newman’s, Bangkok Noir. Evidently I am incapable of reading (listening) to these in order, because I seem to be doing it backwards, but these stories are more than strong enough to stand on their own.

A private investigator is hired to look into the apparent suicide of a local working girl who may have been wrapped up in something sinister inside the Red Night Zone. To find the truth he must not only battle his own personal demons, but he must take on a group of powerful forces inside the private and popular sex club - Demon Dreams.

Nicholas Patrella once again nails the story with his excellent narration. His voice is in my head now and I will never be able to read a Joe Dylan tale without it in the background. (That’s a good thing, btw) A very good story with a very well done reading. Recommended for anybody who likes their noir, dark and gritty.

*I was provided an audible review copy of this title from the narrator in exchange for an honest review. This was it.

Not the Best

I really wanted to like "Red Night Zone" but there was something bizarre about the writing. It was as if Newman wanted to disguise a less than stellar plot with elaborate, descriptive language. It didn't work and it was very difficult to finish this one. That said, Nicholas Patrella does give a good narrative performance.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

a crime novel

I received this book from the narrator of my own free will for an honest review.

For me it wasn't great nor it was terrible, it was more in the lines of average. I found it a little difficult to connect with the characters and the storyline was a mystery allright but I found it somehow lacking emotion.

a cool read if you want something with a little voodo paranormal investigation it maybe deserve a little appreciation.

Bangkok down and dirty.

What made the experience of listening to Red Night Zone the most enjoyable?

It is fun to listen to this story with a good narrator...... he brings out the entire ambiance ofBangkok ..... the real and imagined.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Night Zone?

N/A

What about Nicholas Patrella’s performance did you like?

He makes many characters come alive in your mind.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No...... but the imagery of the unique nature of Bangkok and how it represents the mosttawdry nature of modern civilization.

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

A great book that flows and draws you in!

This is a fantastic little book that gives a different feel to mystery/thrillers.
I loved the cultural additions of Thailand and all of the wonderful and terrifying things from that country. That part really added depth and feel to the book as a whole.

I especially enjoyed the interconnection of characters and story arcs throughout the book.
The narration is distinct with characters feeling unique and carrying a multitude of regional accents.
Well done to Nicholas Patrella on a good job.

This is definitely worth your time if you want a mystery/thriller, you will definitely enjoy it if you have been to Thailand or that area of the world.

I was given this free audiobook review copy at my request and have voluntarily provided this impartial review.

Embarrassing and ridiculous on so many levels.

I wanted to stop listening to this audio book as soon as I heard the narration. It sounded very low quality and amateurish. The actor did bad falsettos, fake accents, and over the top over acting. I kept listening to give the author a chance in case he couldn't afford a better narrator. Unfortunately I think that the author and narrator are cut from the same cloth. The idea behind the story is good, which is why I ended up listening to it all, but the execution is bad. I hate to say it, because I do not like putting down artists, but anyone spending their time and money on this should be warned.
The protagonist is supposed to be a tough hard boiled noir type detective, yet he is not. He spouts off long existential moralistic speeches to other characters who do the same, in the form of " so you mean that..." repeating them in his own similar words. All the dialogue is artificial, and painful to hear.
I actually feel like an assassin writing this, but I'm actually using restraint in my criticism. I commend the author for trying, but it's just bad. I'd suggest using a better editor. Did he even have an editor? I wonder.... I'm requesting a refund.